GOsC publishes independent evaluation of revalidation pilot

The General Osteopathic Council has published an independent evaluation, by KPMG, of the GOsC’s recent osteopathic revalidation pilot. The year-long revalidation pilot, which concluded in September 2012, was completed by 263 osteopaths and was funded through a Department of Health grant.

KPMG’s role in evaluating the pilot has included: surveying osteopaths about how they practise; reviewing the revalidation work being undertaken by other health regulators; collecting and analysing feedback from pilot participants and assessors at regular intervals, and conducting interviews and focus groups with patients, insurers, the British Osteopathic Association, osteopaths and others.

KPMG’s evaluation identifies a number of strengths of the pilot revalidation scheme, including:

• Three-quarters of all participants reporting that pilot participation meant that they reflected more on areas of their clinical practice.
• Consistently 40% of participants reporting that their participation in the pilot has benefited their patients.
• The majority of participants considering that ‘purposeful review’ of the Osteopathic Practice Standards was beneficial.

However the report also highlights some challenges within the pilot scheme, including:

• 83% of participants finding the pilot administratively burdensome.
• The pilot taking participants an average of 53 hours to complete.
• Many osteopaths requiring considerable support to complete the pilot.

Over the coming months, the GOsC Council will consider this report alongside the results of our parallel, year-long review of the existing continuing professional development scheme.

Once we have revised and simplified our proposals for revalidation, a further consultation will take place with all osteopaths and other interested parties.

In the meantime, the current CPD requirements for osteopaths remain unchanged.

The GOsC’s Chief Executive and Registrar, Tim Walker said:

“We are enormously grateful for the contribution that osteopaths have made to the pilot. This has given us real evidence about what works well and what doesn’t. We hope to continue to work in partnership with osteopaths as we revise and simplify our proposals over the coming months, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the quality of
patient care.”

The evaluation report and the accompanying impact assessment report are available on the GOsC website at www.osteopathy.org.uk/standards/continuing-fitness-to-practise/revalidation-research/final-evaluation-and-impact-assessment/

ENDS
For further information, contact Fiona Browne, Head of Professional Standards,
at fbrowne@osteopathy.org.uk or 020 7357 6655 x235.